The case for a small UK 8m amateur band

It is true to say that I am fuming by the attitude of OFCOM and the RSGB to a tiny 8m allocation. Let me explain. 

OFCOM seems dead against an amateur allocation and the RSGB appears to just accept this. Our hobby is meant to be about self-training. In my personal experience of RF development, without any doubt the best RF engineers were those who were intrinsically motivated  and "turned on" by RF. I have read countless CVs of electronics graduates who, frankly, were totally useless. I knew more at 16 than they did!! I learnt more from my RAE course than they did with a degree!

If we are really interested in future RF designers, we should be doing all we can to promote "self training".

These are my proposals:

• 40.680 - 40.685 MHz (5 kHz only). This is in the ISM band and widely used internationally
• Narrow digital only (e.g. WSPR, FT8, CW and no speech)
• By NoV only
• Strictly non-interference
• Power limited if need be.

Personally, I would happily lose 5 kHz from any band in trade. Such a narrow allocation with no speech is very unlikely to attract "more of the same" and foster the true purpose of our hobby.

OFCOM and RSGB, wake up!!